The Big Obsidian Flow, created 1,300 years ago, covers 700 acres (2.8 km2). The black, shiny obsidian field is easily accessible from good roads within the caldera, or a trail that traverses the flow.
Obsidian was prized by native americans who used the rock for implements, such as arrowheads and axes.
We get refreshed in Bend.
Then head to Three Fingered Jack.
It is named for its distinctive shape, is a Pleistocene volcano in the Cascade Range of Oregon. The trail is very nice.
Jason on the trail, with our destination in front of us.
It is a deeply glaciated shield volcano and consists mainly of basaltic andesite lava. Compared with other heavily glaciated volcanic peaks such as Mount Washington and Mount Thielsen, which display eroded volcanic necks as their cores, Three Fingered Jack's present summit is a narrow ridge of loose tephra supported by a dike only 10 feet (3.0 m) thick on a generally north-south axis. Radiating dikes and plugs from a series of overlapping cinder and composite cones that support this summit have been exposed by glaciation. The sole glacier is the unofficially-named Jack glacier, located in a shaded cirque on the northeast side at an unusually low altitude for the Oregon Cascades.
The last cone-building eruptions were more explosive in nature than earlier shield-building eruptions, producing mostly unconsolidated strata. Cone-building eruptions ceased before the Pleistocene glacial period, allowing the expanded glacial cover to remove most of the cone.
Sources disagree about who first reached the summit, It was either six boys from Bend, Oregon or members of The Mazamas. Sources agree that the ascent occurred in 1923.
Jason headed down this step scree covered slope and had to really scramble to get out.
This is the glacier.
Three Fingered Jack is located in the Mount Jefferson Wilderness and is not accessible by paved road, but can be approached by the Pacific Crest Trail. It is regarded as extinct and has not been assessed for volcanic hazards.
This is a view of Mt. Jefferson, as we are hiking out. Our next destination, Breitenbush Hot Springs is just on the other side of Jefferson.
The Lodge at Breitenbush. There is also a library and a large room for seminars. This is were we take our vegetarian meals, which are delivered from the Kitchen in this food cart.
This is the Forest Shelter, which is used for classes.
This is the Sanctuary. I believe is is used mostly for yoga and new agey doings.
Our cosy cabins.
Oh, the things one sees while on a walk about:
and
Now, how about some hot water!
The Spiral Tubs
The Cold Plunge
The Sauna
One of the Meadow Pools
Another Meadow Pool
An old hot water source
Well, all good things must come to an end, and we depart for Portland and the airport, but first a little good food.
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